


The One You Believe

by torakowalski



Series: Skin Deep [2]
Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Alternate Universe, Missing Scene, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-09-07
Updated: 2008-09-07
Packaged: 2017-10-05 09:44:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,081
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/40323
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/torakowalski/pseuds/torakowalski
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>Carson's father always said that he'd like to be reincarnated as a cat. These days, Carson can understand why.</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	The One You Believe

**Author's Note:**

> Missing scene from With Bones Like That - (Carson POV)

Carson's father always said that he'd like to be reincarnated as a cat. These days, Carson can understand why. The biological imperative to sleep for sixteen hours a day means that Carson is better rested than he can ever remember being, there are no Wraith to worry about, and complicated emotions like fear and worry feel comfortably muted.

Yes, Carson can see why his father would want this life.

Carson's father, however, probably hadn't factored Rodney McKay's sex life into his thinking. In the last few days, since Rodney and his friend stopped shuffling around each other, there has been a lot of inappropriately noisy sex.

Carson has never wanted to know what Rodney sounds like when he comes but now Carson gets to hear it two or three times a day. At least. He's actually a little worried about both their hearts; this much sex can't be good for anyone.

It certainly isn't good for Carson, so he's decided to take refuge under the sofa. The sounds are muffled now and if Carson could still feel relief, he knows he would. Instead, he licks a paw and begins to clean his ear. It feels nice to be clean.

Cleaning his left ear leads logically to cleaning his right ear. And to cleaning his neck. And then it only makes sense to clean his back, his belly and his tail. Fur tastes strange on his tongue but not unpleasant. He hesitates before cleaning any of his more intimate areas, but it's private and dark under the sofa so he decides to go ahead. He really is amazingly flexible.

When Carson is clean, he looks up. There are ankles in his line of sigh. Narrow, female ankles and it feels very strange to look at those and think Rodney but of course, that's who it is.

Carson is just about to come out from under the sofa to see if he can convince Rodney to feed him – the most annoying thing about no longer having an opposable thumb is his inability to feed himself – when he hears Rodney sigh. It's long, drawn-out, gusty and upset and Carson hesitates. Normally, Rodney only sounds like that when he wants attention, but as far as Rodney knows he's alone.

Cautiously, Carson sneaks out from under the sofa and winds himself around Rodney's feet.

"What's wrong?" he asks, although of course it comes out sounding like meow?

Absently, Rodney drops his hand down and lets Carson butt his nose against it. "There you are," he says, sounding tired.

Carson looks up at Rodney, blinking. Rodney is wearing a t-shirt with writing across the front which Carson can no longer read and overly long, grey jogging bottoms. His face – his surprisingly pretty, female face – is pale and big-eyed. He looks as tired as he sounds.

If Carson were still human, he would put his arm around Rodney's shoulders, give him a bit of a friendly squeeze. But the only way he knows to give comfort in this body is to get into Rodney's lap and he isn't sure if that's appropriate.

"Oh for goodness' sake," Rodney says, rolling his eyes. "Come up here."

Carson hesitates but he can't exactly claim not to want to, so he thinks about jumping and lands on the sofa. It's strange, not being entirely sure which parts of his body are being used for the jump, but apparently some things are intuitive.

"What?" he asks again, bumping his head against Rodney's elbow.

Rodney lifts his arm and strokes Carson's back. Carson feels a purr start up in his chest, and curls happily on the sofa by Rodney's side, his head resting on Rodney's thigh. When Carson's human again, they are never speaking of this.

"What do you think of John?" Rodney asks quietly. "Actually, don't answer that. You had sex with Laura Cadman; I'm never trusting your opinion again."

Carson raises his head crossly. His excuse me? comes out as a hiss and he's surprised but mostly satisfied by that. Feeling that Rodney has been suitably chastised, he lays his head back down.

"We should never have come here," Rodney says, sounding like he's talking mostly to himself. "I mean what was I thinking? I've been in love with him for twenty years."

Carson twitches, rolling over so he can look up at Rodney. He'd suspected that Rodney's feelings for John went further than some experimental sex in his new body. Carson remembers one drunken evening with Rodney back on Atlantis when Carson had admitted his fondness for Lieutenant Cadman and Rodney had told Carson of the crush he'd had on a friend at college. It hadn't taken Carson long after arriving to realise that that had been John.

"Do you think I'm being stupid?" Rodney asks. Carson can't remember Rodney ever giving anyone an opening like that before.

Carson does think Rodney is being stupid, but not for the reasons Rodney thinks. He jumps down from Rodney's lap and pads towards the door.

"Oh come on," Rodney complains. "You're not a real cat, you could listen!"

Carson turns back towards Rodney and meows his most authoritative meow.

"What?" Rodney half rises out of his chair. Then he sits back down, huffing. "Oh what, are you Lassie now? Don't think I'm going to follow you."

Carson just stares at him. Smiling to himself when Rodney stands with a huff, following Carson to the door and down the hall. John's bedroom door is slightly open and swings open further when Carson pushes it with his nose.

"What?" Rodney hisses, "How is this answering my question?"

He breaks off and Carson looks up, seeing that John is awake and half-sitting up. The sheet has slipped down to his waist and his chest is bare and almost as hairy as Carson's chest currently is. Carson has an excuse though: he's a cat.

Above him, Rodney makes a noise and if Carson could look smug, he would.

"Hey," John drawls, holding out a hand. His smile is slow and lazy and Carson backs out of the room, slipping through Rodney's feet before he can get trapped in the bedroom and made to witness whatever's going to happen next.

The door swings shut in Carson's face and he swishes his tail, listening for the sound of the bed groaning when Rodney lies back down. With his enhanced hearing, he catches the sound of kisses, and hurries away quickly. He doesn't think Rodney should despair just yet.

/End


End file.
